Travelers bag

ABSTRACT

A traveling bag has two stiffened end flaps each stitched along one of its edges to a large rectangular sheet of fabric. Cooperating halves of zippers are stitched to such sheet and to such flaps; and in the process of closing such zippers, a closed bag results with stiff end flaps that prevent sharp creasing of, for example, a man&#39;&#39;s suit which may have been previously hung on a hook sewed onto the inner surface of such sheet. A second sheet may overlay the first sheet to provide a pocket for such suit, and also pockets may be stitched on said second sheet to provide storage for other clothing and toilet articles.

United States Patent n91 Zipper Dec. 11, 1973 TRAVELERS BAG [76] Inventor: Walter J. Zipper, 463 Mesa Rd.,

Santa Monica, Calif. 90402 [22] Filed: May 22, 1972 211 Appl. No.: 255,337

Marbury et aL... l90/4l.2 OBrien 190/43 Primary Examiner-Herbert F. Ross Attorney-Charles G. Lyon et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A traveling bag has two stiffened end flaps each stitched along one of its edges to a large rectangular sheet of fabric. Cooperating halves of zippers are stitchedto such sheet and to such flaps; and in the process of closing such zippers, a closed bag results with stiff end flaps that prevent sharp creasing of, for example, a mans suit which may have been previously hung on a hook sewed onto the inner surface of such sheet. A second sheet may overlay the first sheet to provide a pocket for such suit, and also pockets may be stitched on said second sheet to provide storage for other clothing and toilet articles,

2 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures TRAVELERS BAG The present invention relates to an improved-travel bag.

One object of the present invention is to provide an improved travel bag which prevents sharp creasing of clothes such as a mans suit folded therein.

Another object of the present'invention is to provide a traveling bag of this characterin which the mans suit may be disposed withina pocket between two sheets which are. prevented from being sharply creased by stiffened end flaps. 2

Another object of the present invention is to provide a traveling bag of this character in which the bag may be laid flat or hung for convenientloading and which is closed in the desired form by closing two'zippers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bag of the character indicated in the preceding paragraph in which pockets are stitched to one sheet of that pocket which defines the suit pocket for convenient storage of clothing and toilet articles.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularlity in the appended claims. This invention itself, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects andadv'antages thereof, may be best understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a traveling bag embodying the present invention in traveling condition;

FIG. 2 illustrates the same bag in fully open condition with some of the fabric removed in one of the reinforced flaps for purposes of illustrating internal stiffening material.

The traveling bag illustrated may be of soft, foldable fabric such as plastic material. Stiffening material 8 is in each of the stiffened end flaps 10, 12 which together with centrally disposed foldable material sheet 14 define generally the outer confines of the bag.

This sheet 14 for these purposes is generally rectangular and stitched thereto are the flaps8, 12 by stitching 15 and 16, the stitching 15 extending between points 18 and 20 and the stitching 16 extending between points 22 and 24. Each of these flaps 10, 12 is formed as a closed, stitched pocket with the stiffening material such as cardboard 8 being disposed between the outer sheet 26 and inner sheet 28,-these two sheets being stitched by stitching 34 extending around their adjacent outer edges with such stitching 34 terminating at points 18 and 20 and being continued as stitching 15.

One large inner sheet 36 also generally rectangular but somewhat smaller than the outer sheet 14 has its upper edge and lower edge in FIG. 2 stitched by stitching 38 and 40 to the outer sheet 14, the stitching 38 extending between points 42, 43 and 44, 45, and the stitching 40 extending between points 46 and 48. A portion of the upper edge of sheet 36 between points 43 and 44 is cut out as illustrated to gain access to an open hook 50 of fabric which has its ends sewed to the outer sheet 14. This hook 50 serves to receive the hooked end of a conventional clothes hanger (not shown) on which clothes such as a mans suit (not shown) is hung and disposed between the outersheet 14 and inner sheet 36 which together form a pocket. Such pocket may be open at both sides or may be closed at one side by stitching 60 which extends between points 62 and 64 and serves to connect one side edge of sheet 36 to the outer sheet 14.

Pockets are formed on the inner sheet 36 by sewing three smaller rectangular sheets 62, 64 and 66 on sheet 36. The sheet 62 is stitched to sheet 36 along three of its edges by stitching 68 which extends between points 70 and 72 to form pocket 74 for storage of, for example, shoes and socks. Likewise, sheet 64 is stitched to sheet 36 along three of its edges by stitching 76 which extends between points 78 and 80 to form pocket 82 for storage of, for example, shirts and underwear. Like wise, sheet 66 is stitched to sheet'36 along three of its edges by stitching 84 which extends between points 86 and 88 to form pocket 90 which is compartmentalized into pockets 90A, 90B by stitching 92, stitching 92 serving to join the central part of sheet 66 to the inner sheet 36. The pocket 90A may be used, for example, for storage of toilet articles and shaving equipment, and the pocket 908 may be used, for example, for storage of pajamas.

Elastic bands 94, 96 may have their ends stitched by the same corresponding stitching 34, 15 and 34, 16 respectively for purposes of resiliently maintaining in clamped condition other articles against the inner walls of corresponding flaps l0 and 12.

Carrying handles 96, 98 are secured, for example, by sewing, to the upper and lower edges of the outer sheet 14.

The bag is closed by two conventional zippers 100, 102. The zipper 100 includes the mating strips 100A, 1008 and their joining member 100C having the finger ring 100D. Likewise, the zipper 102 includes the mating strips 102A, 102B and their joining member 102C having the finger ring 102D. Both zippers 100, 102 are illustrated in FIG. 2 in their fully open condition and in their fully closed positions in FIG. 1. It will be seen that the zipper part 100A is stitched to the outer edge of flap 10 and extends substantially between points 20 and 18 and that its mating part 1008 extends substantially from point 20 to point 108.

The zipper part 102A is stitched to the outer edge of flap 12 and extends substantially from point 24 to point 22 and also beyond point 22 to point 18. The mating zipper part 1028 on the edge of sheet 14 extends substantially from point 24 to point 46. As a result when both zippers 100, 102 are closed, the finger rings 100D, 102D of each are sufficiently close at one of the upper ends of the closed bag as seen in FIG. 1 to allow the bale of a lock (not shown) to pass through each for purposes of locking the bag in closed condition.

The sheet 62 of the upper pocket 74 in the form of an expandable pocket may be quickly closed and opened by a clasp 1 10in the form of a strip 111 having one end thereof stitched to sheet 36 and its other end mounting one part of a snap fastener, the other half of which is sewed on sheet 62. Because the pockets 90A, 90B are inverted in the closed condition of the bag, a conventional zipper having a closure member 110D is used to close them. The zipper 110 has one of its strips 110A stitched to sheet 36 and the other mating strip 110B stitched to the upper edge of sheet 66.

While the particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A bag of the character described including a generally rectangular sheet of flexible material; a pair of 5 end flaps each secured along one of its ends to a corresponding side edge of said sheet; said end flaps being substantially non-flexible; and zipper means having cooperating halves thereof secured to said sheet and to said flaps; said sheet having a second sheet stitched to an inner surface thereof and cooperating therewith to form an elongated pocket of a size to accommodate a mans suit on a hanger; hanger support means on the first sheet; said second sheet having an open portion to provide access to said support means; said second sheet having material stitched thereto forming an open pocket means therewith; carrying handles secured to the upper and lower edge portions of the first sheet; said pocket means being inverted in the closed carrying position of said bag; zipper means closing said pocket means; the first mentioned zipper means including two zippers, one of said zippers having cooperating mating portions stitched along one of said flaps and a portion of the outer edge of the first sheet and the other one of said zippers having cooperating mating portions stitched along the other of said flaps and the remaining portion of the outer edge of the first sheet.

2. A bag as set forth in claim 1 in which the closure member for said zippers each have finger rings which are sufficiently close in closed condition of said bag for insertion of the bale of a conventional lock. 

1. AA bag of the character described including a generally rectangular sheet of flexible material; a pair of end flaps each secured along one of its ends to a corresponding side edge of said sheet; said end flaps being substantially non-flexible; and zipper means having cooperating halves thereof secured to said sheet and to said flaps; said sheet having a second sheet stitched to an inner surface thereof and cooperating therewith to form an elongated pocket of a size to accommodate a man''s suit on a hanger; hanger support means on the first sheet; said second sheet having an open portion to provide access to said support means; said second sheet having material stitched thereto forming an open pocket means therewith; carrying handles secured to the upper and lower edge portions of the first sheet; said pocket means being inverted in the closed carrying position of said bag; zipper means closing said pocket means; the first mentioned zipper means including two zippers, one of said zippers having cooperating mating portions stitched along one of said flaps and a portion of the outer edge of the first sheet and the other one of said zippers having cooperating mating portions stitched along the other of said flaps and the remaining portion of the outer edge of the first sheet.
 2. A bag as set forth in claim 1 in which the closure member for said zippers each have finger rings which are sufficiently close in closed condition of said bag for insertion of the bale of a conventional lock. 